Letters: Campaign against Prop. 8 contains several deceptions

The California attorney general, supported by the state Superior Court, ordered the name of Proposition 8 to be "Eliminates Rights of Same-Sex Couples to Marry" in order that the name "accurately reflect the measure."

In ads now appearing on local television, the Yes on 8 campaign is repeating as fact statements that were found to be "false and misleading" in a ruling (case number 34-2008-00017366) issued on Aug. 8 by the Sacramento Superior Court. According to the court, assertions that "teaching children about about gay marriage will happen here unless we pass Proposition 8" are not true.

One ad claims "parents would have no right to object," but this is false. To quote the court, "Education Code section 51240 requires that they allow parents to excuse their children from any such instruction conflicting with parents' religious or moral convictions." In spite of the court ruling, as well as objections to media outlets by the No on 8 campaign, the Yes on 8 campaign continues to run the ads with fraudulent information.

Other claims that same-sex marriage will cause people to be sued over their personal beliefs and religious institutions required to officiate the marriages are equally disingenuous. We are all protected by California laws that prohibit discrimination based on race, religion, gender or sexual orientation, and the court decision on same sex marriage specifically states, "no religion will be required to change its religious policies or practices with regard to same-sex couples, and no religious officiant will be required to solemnize a marriage in contravention of his of her religious beliefs."

Personally, I have no particular desire to marry, but I have friends who do (and have), and I think the peculiar views of a particular portion of the population should not be permitted to prevent them. It has not been all that long since we had laws preventing people of different races from marrying. Barring same sex-couples from marriage is just as regressive, and should also be consigned to the trash heap of history, or perhaps composted and used to grow a better society.

Pat Gargaetas

Crescent City